New research shows bright future for Women’s sport

New findings from Goodform’s research brand Sportswise have highlighted the increased awareness of, and appetite for, Women’s elite sport.

Sportswise recently conducted new research into men’s and women’s sport viewing habits, and their attitudes to women’s elite sport. Utilising Sportswise’s Sports Fan Panel, a unique research panel comprising consumers, spectators and participants from a wide variety of sports, almost 2000 sports fans took part in the research, which has provided new insight into the growing profile of women’s sport.

It is clear that men watch more sport (with 68% of the men surveyed watching over 3 hours a week, compared with 50% of women), but what Sportswise’s findings also suggest is that the appeal of women’s elite sport is much broader than many may think: in many cases, male sports fans are as engaged with women’s elite sport as female sports fans are.

The research highlights that the increasing media profile of women’s sport is certainly having an effect. 57% of men and 55% of women stated that they are more interested in women’s sport now compared to two years ago. The picture is similar when we look at high profile women’s sporting events: 26% of men surveyed stated that they watched the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014, versus 19% of women. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 was one of the highest profile female sporting events of all time, with every match being shown live on the BBC in the UK. Again we see interest from both male and female audiences: 40% of men surveyed tuned in to watch, as did 37% of women.

The research also covered men and women’s participation in sport, and their motivations for and barriers to getting involved.

The Sports Fan Panel is available for use by organisations in the sports industry who are looking for quick and accessible insights.

To find out more about this, or the recent research project, please call us on 01926 458 180 or email us athello@sportswise.info

Follow the Sports Fan Panel on Twitter: @Sports_FanPanel